Steam trap



April 8, 1930. J. w GARRETT 1,753,508

STEAM TRAP Filed Aug. 6, 1927 46 37 9 I! I HI J4 M l J 11 na; 1%. E 3 J i1 45 J i g 16 I I 9 WW I (hmwhf'mzyei Patented Apr. 8, 1930 UNITED STATES WARING- COMPANY, OF PHILADELIPHI PENNSYLVANIA PATENT OFFICE I JAMES W. GARRETT, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR'TO YARNALIP A, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF STEAM TRAP Application filed August 6, 1927. Serial No. 211,058.

My invention relates to steam traps having an operating bucket which is floated and subsequently sunk by the condensed steam.

The purpose of my invention is to protect the operating bucket from dirt or other foreign matter and to direct this foreign matter as a sludge into a space where it may be retained between times of cleaning and from which it can be removed.

A further purpose is to provide a sight opening by which the position of the bucket may be determined.

Further purposes will cation and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by but one form, among a number in which it might appear, selecting a form which is not only simple, practical and highly effective but which well illustrates the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a vertical central section through my steam trap showing the preferred form.

appear in the specifi- Figure 2 is a fragmentary section upon line Robert Yarnall, Serial No. 127,534, filed August 6, 1926, but from my standpoint considering this as a conventional showing mere- 1y, since my invention will obviously operate with a great variety of buckets and bucket operating and valve constructions.

I show a lower casing 6 flaring outwardly at the top, having inlet 7 and outlet 8 and closed at the top by a cap 9. The water from the inlet traverses a passage 10, vented at 10', into the interior 11 and travels out through the hollow of tube 12, space 13 and outlet passage 14. The valves are in the form of balls 15, 15 in Figure 2 and 15 in Figure 3, closing vthe mud thus accummulated.

openings in valve seats 16. They are tilted or rolled by means of a pivoted lever 17 ,engaged by any projection 18 upon a rod 19 which travels with the cylindrical bucket 20.

The rod 19 is guided sleevef22, 22

threaded for adjustment within'jthe threaded the water pours over the top edge 24 of the bucket the latter sinks and fills, c'ausing the projection 18 to give a hammer blow to the lever and thus to open the valves. The bucket rim should sink Well belowthe level of the water" to ensure complete filling.

As soon as the valves are opened, steam pressureupon the surface of the water in the bucket forces the water through lateral passages 25 at the bottom into the interior of the tube, up through itand out throughthe valves and outlet connections; This outward flow of water vcontinues until the bucket isnearly free from water. While the lateral passages are still coveredby water and thus sealed the reduction in weight of the bucket content of water permits the bucket to float and the valve or valves is or are closed, completing a cycle.

A vent cock isshown at 26.' p As far as described this constructionisall old and-I have selected it merely as an illustration of one. construction to which myinvention maybe accommodated and by which it maybe well illustrated. 1

In my invention a screen 27 of rather fine mesh surrounds the bucket and protects it against dirt or otherforeign matter which may havebeen carried by the steam and which isscreened out and dropped to the bottom of the lower compartment. I have lo cated an annular groove or gutter 28 at the bottom which is intended to receive and store adjacent the blow off connection so that part A at least of the mud thus accummulated can be blown out through the blow off connection 29.

As it is desirable to have the screen 27 extend the entire height of the compartment ice and to support it well against lateral movement I provide oppositely facing annular supports 30 and 30 approximately fitting the interior of the cylindrical screen used and limit upward and downward extension of the screen between shoulders 31 and 32.

In the form of trap illustrated it is quite desirable to keep track of the position of the bucket and for that purpose I provide a sight opening directly above the rod 19. I For this purpose I illustrate an annular seat 33 surrounded by an internally threaded rim 34.

Upon the seat I show an annular rubber gasket 35, a mica disc 36 and a sight glass 37, preferably convexed at 38 so as to magnify the view beneath it. Above the glass an annular copper washer or ring is illustrated, located between the glass and the nut 39. The latter is turned to place by a wrench fitting into spanner opening 4:0. I

' The screen and sight opening are obviouslyadvantageous with a great variety of constructions and regardless of the relation between the bucket and container.

I In view of my invention and disclosure, variations and modificationst-o meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to

obtain part or all of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention. a

Having thus described my invention, what 1 I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is p 1. A steam trap ofrthe bucket type and a fixed screen surrounding the'bucket, spaced from the bucket and free from intermediate interior support between it and the bucket and protecting it from foreign matter.

2. A steam trap of the bucket type having an annular channel about the bottom of the" bucket compartment of larger diameter than the bucket and a fine fixed screen surrounding the bucket adapted to eliminate foreign matter and to drop the mud collected into the channel. a a v 3. A steam trap having a bucket compartment and movable bucket in the compartment, an interior guide for the bucket, fixed supports surrounding the axis of bucket movement near the ends of the bucket and of larger diameter than the bucket, and a screen mounted upon said supports and adapted to exclude mud from the interior of the bucket.

JAMES W. GARRETT. 

